Fascinating and disturbing.” –Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay … of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that. This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
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Interesting book looking in on the life of a scandalous Muslim girl.
Now before I get into the review, I need to tell you that the main character (the one in the cover) is not Muslim. There are 4 POVs that you will be reading from in this book and yes, one of them is Muslim, but the main character isn’t.
Okay so now onto my review. I heard a lot of great things about this book and the synopsis was intriguing to me so I decided to read it. It did not disappoint at all. I really enjoyed it and it only took me three days to finish it. That’s how addicting it was. But there is one tiny thing that kind of bugged and confused me while I was reading it and that’s the reason (which I’ll mention later one) it gets a 4.5 stars from me.
This book is not a happy book, so don’t get fooled by the cover!!!!! It is scandalous, depressing, shocking, and it gives you all the feels!!!!!!
I was expecting the main character to be Muslim which she wasn’t but that did not stop me from loving it. As the blurb says, which is “Fascinating and disturbing”, I totally agree with it and I will be mentioning why without spoilers.
Fascinating: What fascinated me were the complex characters and how unlikable they are (except maybe Porus who is such a cutie). There is one who I hated reading from and I am thanking the lord he does not have a lot of perspective to read from or that will be a torture. Also, I really love the setting, which is set in Saudi Arabia. This is the first book that I’m reading which is set in that place and I love the atmosphere it gave.
Disturbing: This book deals with a lot of heavy topics and the issues that are currently happening today is being raised, such as female oppression, wasta, sense of identity and belonging, sexual assault, race, dysfunctional families, police brutality, drug abuse and many more!!!!! Our main character has been through A LOT and I just want to give her a hug, but don’t be fooled, she is a fighter and a rebellious girl (which gets her into a lot of trouble) that does not let anyone stand in her way even if she has to be cruel about it.
The romance between Zarin and Porus was just adorable. I kept shipping them to the end of their breaths!!!!!! Okay if that term scares you and you think is spoilery, it is at the beginning of the book. Both Zarin and Porus die in a car accident and we will be reading from their childhood up until the present moment. But even though you have this knowledge at the beginning of the story, trust me when I say the ending was done beautifully!!!!!!
I also really liked reading from Mishal’s point of view. She is Zarin’s rival and hates her guts. I was expecting to hate her but I didn’t because there is a reason for her behavior and she has her own problems to deal with (which I want to give her a hug too)!!!!!! But I honestly hated her friends, especially Layla.
I also loved some of the Arabic words that are used in the book. It made me smile and laugh when it was used in a comedic way.
What I didn’t like in this book is that there are many flashbacks happening during the present moment and I get confused as to which one is the past and which one is the present. In other words, the character thinks about what happened before and then you go to that “before” scene and experience it which made me forget that I am currently in the present moment of that makes any sense. But other than that, I really enjoyed the journey of this book.
Overall, I am so happy that I’ve read Tanaz’s debut book first and will definitely be checking out her future releases. I highly recommend checking this book out because in my opinion, I think it is so worth the read!!!!!
Born in Mumbai, living in Jeddah, Zarin dares to defy the constraints placed on her by both family and society–and her peers with dire consequences. A powerful, well-written novel that raises the reader’s awareness of the world millions of girls and women live in–the limitations and dangers they face often insurmountable.
Author Tanaz Bhathena, who was born in Mumbai and raised in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Toronto, writes, “My own story is different from Zarin’s and Mishal’s. Yet it does not make their stories any less true, nor does it diminish the reality of living in a world that still defines girls in various ways without letting them define themselves.”
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.
This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
http://www.darlenejonesauthor.com
It’s very intering
The cover initially pulled me in to read A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena. It was “employee selected” as a favorite and sitting cover forward. Frankly, the combination of a perfect pink and leopard print and marked with the perfect contrasting shade of lipstain screamed girl empowerment to me. I read the back and realized it was about a female growing up with Muslim values. I snatched it up! I live in a primarily Nordic descended area of the U.S.A. Recently, churches of Lutheran Seminary have moved Muslim Somalian Refugees into our dominated conservative Christian culture. My favorite part of the novel was the internal thoughts of a young, faithful young girl making the decision to change her Barbies to fit her personal beliefs of modesty. My final thoughts, ALL females make these daily choices. Should I wear a v-neck or a collar? Should I wear a sweater over this? Is it acceptable to wear pajama pants to church or school? Red or cream? I found the story heightened for me when the discussion of the ideals of Marriage were addressed. Overall a good read as it touched an interest for me.